On soccer.

25 years ago, city got its kicks from the Sting

The 1981 Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League ended what was an 18-year city-title drought when it defeated the New York Cosmos in a 1-0 shootout on Sept. 26.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sting's first title, the Fire will honor the team Sunday before taking on D.C. United at Toyota Park. Sting owner Lee B. Stern, coach Willy Roy and midfielder Rudy Glenn take a look back at the Sting's championship run.

The season

Stern: There was a strong feeling going in because of our success the previous year. The community was really behind us. It didn't hurt that there was a baseball strike that year either.

Roy: Our loss to New York in the playoffs the year before left a sour taste in our mouths--which was a good thing. The players had such a winning attitude. I had to keep myself from being impressed and had to remember I was the coach.

Stern: We were down 2-1 to Tulsa the first game of the season with nine seconds remaining. [Arno] Steffenhagen scored to send it into overtime and then [Steve] Long scored for us two minutes into OT. That was typical of our season.

Glenn: Our practices were just as competitive--and heated.

Coach vs. owner

Roy: I remember Lee invited me to his place after we had been arguing and I was convinced I would come home that night without a job.

Stern: Willy had his opinions, I had mine, but our disagreements were never about soccer. In the end, we always got along. It was more a matter of dollars and cents. The other day, Willy asked me for 20 tickets to Sunday's Sting reunion game. I said I'd give him eight.

Glenn: After dealing with Willy, I could deal with anything. Willy was very hard-nosed and aggravating, but he taught us a lot and made us men. I tackled Willy hard during practice my first year and he let me have it. One teammate said, "You'll probably start next game. Willy likes aggressiveness."

Playoffs

Glenn: When it came down to the shootout with the Cosmos in the championship, I thought about the 6-5 game a few weeks before with them that also came down to a shootout. I went to the side with my kick that time and it went in, but the keeper got a hand on it. I went the opposite direction this time and the keeper again got a hand on it, but it went in. I was so in the moment I don't remember much.

Chicago reception

Roy: Our flight back to Chicago was delayed because they needed time to get more security because there were 10,000 people waiting for us at O'Hare. When we got off the plane, we were told to just walk straight and not to look left or right. My mother called the next day and said, "What kind of son are you? I was standing in line at the airport and you walked right by me and didn't say hi." I had to explain.

Stern: The city threw us a parade on LaSalle Street. I'd watched parades from my office window in the Chicago Board of Trade since the late 1940s. I never could have dreamed I would be leading a parade down LaSalle Street.

The aftermath

Roy: It might take a second glance for people to recognize me these days, but people talk about this team even 25 years later. This group of characters was special.

Stern: Tim Weigel--the sportscaster--was a strong supporter. Before he passed away, he told me the best times he ever had were covering that season. That meant a lot to me.